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No. 558,283 Paten r.- 4 96.

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A. S. KROTZ 85 W. P. ALLEN.

UNDERGROUND SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

PatentedA UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVARO S. KROTZ, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, AND IVILLIAM P. ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO OLIVER S. KELLY,

OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

UNDERGROUND SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC R A'ILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,283, dated April 14, 189 6.

Application filed August 23, 1895. Serial No. 560,261. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALVARO S. KROTZ, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, and WILLIAM P. ALLEN,

residing at Chicago,,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underground Systems for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in underground systems for electric railways; and it consists in the constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and

I 5 set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a device embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the conductors and contacting devices. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a sectional and end elevation of a contacting device embodying a modification.

Like parts are represented by similar letters 2 5 of reference in the several views.

In the said drawings, a represents supporting yokes or brackets Which form a part of the conduit, which conduit may be formed between the said yokes of any suitable construction, either by the use of connecting-plates,or masonry, or in any desirable and suitable manner. The yokes are each preferably formed integral with a base a and inwardly-projecting arms a at the top, with a central opening 3 5 a between the inner ends of said arms. The yokes are connected together by top plates 79 b, which are of any suitable length and are adapted to connect the respective yokes and rest 011 the inwardly-projecting portions or arms 60 to which they are secured, preferably, by means of bolts or screws 1), so that they may be removed, when desired. The inner edges of the plates I) extend beyond the inner ends of the arms a of the yokes, so that a slotted opening 17 between the edges of said plates, is formed, of smaller width than the opening a in the top of the yokes, the construction being such than when the top plates 1) are removed the opening a of sufficient size to admit the conductors and contacting devices, (hereinafter to be described,) will be exposed.

On each side and below the opening a are contacting bars or plates 0 and 0. These contacting bars are suspended from the project ing portions or arms a of the yokes a, preferably by means of hangers 0 which are secured at the top in lugs co on the arms a These hangers c are provided with insulators 0 so that the bottom portion of the hangers and the contacting bars are completely insulated from the yokes or conduit. The'bars are preferably made of comparatively thin metal, so as to be more or less flexible, and,while formed in suitable lengths or sections, the sections are connected together by insulators 0 so that each section is insulated from its adjacent section.

The conductors proper areccompletely inclosed within tubes or chambers cl and d, which are also preferably made in sections of suitable lengths. These tubes or chambers are preferably formed of ordinary metal pipe having at suitable intervals T-shaped connections 61 The main conductor or feed-wire 7 5 6 extends through the different tube-sections or chambers and is insulated throughout its length. The end of each tube-section is closed by plugs d of wood or other suitable insulating material, through which the feed-wire or o conductor 6 is adapted to extend, the construction being such that the ends of the tube will be sealed water and air tight, which may be accomplished by painting the ends of the plug and its joints with insulating-paint or in S 5 any other suitable manner. In the outletopening of each of the T connections (1 there is placed a plug d of wood or other insulating material, so as to fit tightly therein and form a water-tight joint. Each of these plugs has extending through the center thereof a metallic bolt or connection d on the end of which is a spring contacting strip (1 preferably semielliptical in shape and with its ends lying adjacent to the flexible contacting bars c and 0. Y

WVith each of the bolts or rods (1 there is established an electrical connection from the main conductor or feed-wire e, and this is preferably accomplished by a branch wire or conductor 6, which connects with the main or feed wire e through a detachable connection or switch 6 placed at or near one end of the tube-section to which it relates, so that by opening one end of said tube and detaching the connection or switch 6 all the contacting devices in that tube-section may be disconnected from the main conductor 6.

The respective tube-sections which carry the conductors and contacting devices are supported on insulators d, which rest on brackets 01 formed on or secured to the sides of the yokes a These insulators (Z are pref erably formed with two oppositely-extending studs (Z d", preferably of metal and cast into the insulator, which may be of glass or other suitable substance. The stud d is screwed into the bottom of the tube, preferably at the T connection, while the lower stud d is adapted to extend through the bracket d and is secured thereto by a suitable nut (1 in the usual manner.

For establishing a connection from a traveling motor to the conductor any suitable form of traveling contact may be employed, but preferably contacting strips or brushes ff, secured to insulated rotating studs f in a suitable frame f secured to the motor-car and extending through the slotted opening b By rotating the studs the contacting strips ff are brought in contact with the contacting bars 0 and c and press the same laterally in contact with the spring-strips (Z and thus establish an electrical connection from the conductor to the section of the contacting bars which is in contact with one or more of the spring-contaets (Z As soon as the traveling contacting device has passed the contacting-bars will swing by gravity to a vertical position, in which position they will be out of contact with the live contacting spring d", and each section will be in any event entirely insulated both from the conduit and from the remaining sections, and all sections which are not in use will be normally disconnected from the conductor. It will be seen that by this arrangement and construction all the contacting devices are doublyinsulated. The supporting and containing tubes are themselves insulated, and all the conducting devices are in turn insulated from the tubes, so that the possibility of loss from leakage is very remote.

It is obvious that two or more feed-wires e may be used to extend through the sectional casings or tubes, one only being shown.

At the ends of each section of the tube or casing we preferably construct a manhole or well, as shown at g in Fig. 2, of sufficient size and capacity to permit a workman to descend below the level of the tube sections or casings. This Well or manhole will be located between two of the yokes a, so that by removing the top plates cl between said yokes a sufficient opening to permit the entrance of a workman will be secured. The ends of the adjacent sections of tube or casing (1 will stand substantially coincident with the respective yokes, and the connecting or switching devices e will be located at the adjacent ends of said sections, so that by removing the end plugs next to the manhole from the respective tube-sections the contacting devices may be disconnected from the main conductor and any defects remedied or repairs made in connections or contacting devices.

If desired, as a still further protection to the contacting devices, the spring contacting devices 61 may be inclosed within casings d of flexible material, which casings are supported on the insulating-plugs d, as shown in Fig. i. The walls of this casing are so constructed as to yield and permit a contact between the rails and the spring contacting devices, which rails are connected to one side of the casing (Z The contacting parts are thus completely inclosed, and the possibility of foreign substances, such as dust or dirt, preventing a perfect contact is obviated.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. In an underground system, a series of sectional tubes or inclosing casings, a conductor extending through all of said tubes or casings of the series, contacting devices supported on said tubes or casings, and a connection from said conductor to each of said contacting devices, said connections being made inside said tubes or casings, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a conductor and contacting devices connected thereto at suitable intervals, as described, of insulated swinging contacting bars arranged in front of said contacting devices, said bars being connected together by insulating connections so as to form a flexible sectional contacting strip or rail, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with the yokes, of the conductor tubes or casings supported within the same, a conductor extending through said casings or tubes, contacting devices on the outside of said casings or tubes, and an auxiliary conductor extending from each of said contacting devices and connected to said conductor near one end of said tubes or casings, and a removable plug or cover in each of said casings adjacent to said connection, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with the insulated sectional tubes or casings closed at the ends as described, and a main conductor or feed-wire extending through said tubes or casings and insulated therefrom, a series of contacting devices on said tubes or casings, an auxiliary conductor in electrical connection with each of said contacting devices, said auxiliary conductor being connected to said main feed-wire or conductor at a single point near the end of each of said sectional tubes or casings, yokes ICC in which said tubes or casings are supported, removable plates on said yokes, and a manhole or well below the line of said yokes and adjacent to the ends of said casings, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with the insulated sectional tubes or casings, and a main conductor or feed-wire extending through said tubes or casings and insulated therefrom, a series of contacting devices on said tubes or casings, an auxiliary conductor in electrical connection with each of said contacting devices, a removable plug or cover at the end of each of said tubes, and a detachable connection between said auxiliary conductor and said main conductor at or near the end of said tube or casing, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with the insulated sectional tubes or casings, a main conductor or feed-wire extending through the same, contacting devices on the outside of said tubes or casings in electrical connection with said conductor on the inside of said casings, a'flexible moving contacting bar arranged in proximity to said contacting devices, said bar being formed in insulated sections, as described,

- substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination with a tube or casing having outlet-openings in the sides thereof, insulating-plugs in said openings, and an insulating plug or cover at the ends of said tube, a feed-wire extending through said tube or casing, contacting devices supported on said plugs at each of said outlet-openings, an electrical connection from said feed-wire on the inside of said tube to said contacting devices on .the outside of said tube, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with a tube or casing having outlet-openings, plugs in said openings, a conductor in said casing, a branch conductor extending through said plugs to cont-acting devices on the outside of said casing, and a yielding casing or cover surrounding each of said contacting devices, and an electrical connection from said yielding cover to a contacting bar, substantially as specified.

9. The combination with an inclosing tube or casing, and contacting devices on the outside of said tube or casing, a conductor on the inside of said casing, an auxiliary conductor connected with each of said contacting devices, a detachable connection from said auxiliary conductor; to the main conductor, a removable plug or cover for said tube or casing in proximity to said detachable connection, said casings being arranged in series with an intervening space or manhole between the adjacent ends of the sections, substantially as specified.

10. The combination with the supportingyokes, insulators supported on said yokcs,sectional tubes or casings on said insulators, said tubes or casings having outlet-openings with insulating-plugs in the same, a conductor in said tubes or casings, and a connection from said conductor through each of said insulatin g-plugs to contacting devices on the outside of said tubes or casings, substantially as specified.

1 1. The combination with the contacting devices, an electrical connection thereto, of a swinging contacting bar normally out of contact with said contacting devices, said bar being insulated from its supports and formed of insulated sections, and means, substantially as described, for forcing said bar into engagement with said contacting devices,sub stantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 14th day of August, A. D. 1895.

ALVARO S. KROTZ. WILLIAM P. ALLEN.

WVitnesses for Alvaro S. Krotz:

OLIVER H. MILLER, CHAs. I. WELoH.

\Vitnesses for William P. Allen:

PETER J. CoLLINs, IDA M. BERGER. 

